Electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet computers and e-readers have become increasingly popular. An inherent convenience of these devices is that they are highly portable. With increased portability, however, comes the need to protect the device from the surrounding environment, impact from drops, abrasion, and other negative influences. Accordingly, as the popularity of the devices continues to increase, so does the need and desire to protect or surround the device with a cost effective protective case. There is a need not only for protecting and transporting electronic devices, but also to accommodate devices of varying sizes, shapes, and having various different features and controls.
Known devices for protecting smartphones and similar items provide a one-piece co-formed hard shell case for surrounding a smartphone. U.S. Pat. No. 8,204,561 to Mongan et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses one such case wherein an elastomer liner is disposed in the hard shell, which adds considerable bulk. This case relies on the material properties of the elastomer lining to protect the smartphone from drops and impulse forces. Thus, such devices fail to provide various novel features of the present invention including various features for receiving, retaining, and protecting a device while still allowing for a preferred level of access to the device.
Other known devices for protecting smartphones include two-piece clamshell designs wherein two rigid portions surround and enclose a portable electronic device. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,609,512 and 6,995,967, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, much like the one-piece co-formed devices, the clamshell designs add considerable bulk to the case-electronic device combination and fail to provide novel features of the present invention.